UN inquiry says genocidal acts continue in Gaza during ceasefire; Israel rejects report

A new report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry says Israeli authorities and forces continued genocidal acts in Gaza during the ceasefire period. It also finds crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank, including extermination, torture and persecution. The commission is an independent investigative body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council; its findings are not a court judgment. The report says Israeli forces expanded the area under their control in Gaza from about 53% when the ceasefire began in October 2025 to at least 60%. It also records 254 Palestinians killed in West Bank airstrikes between October 7, 2023 and September 30, 2026, compared with six from 2008 through October 6, 2023. The commission is due to present its report to the UN General Assembly. (The figures and findings are reported by [AP](https://apnews.com/article/9547f83319b8c5be32ab3ab81534772a) and [Swissinfo](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/international-geneva/un-inquiry-accuses-israel-of-extermination-in-west-bank/92276838/).) Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the report as a misinformation campaign and called for the commission to be dissolved; Israel denies the genocide allegations. The report adds to an escalating legal and diplomatic dispute, but does not itself determine criminal liability. The underlying claims remain contested, and any prosecution would require proceedings before a competent court.